Your Sweetness
by Amai Ichigo
Summary: 26 year old Freesia Yagyu believed she severed all ties with those of her past when she left the quaint village 7 years ago, but a certain brunette lingers in her thoughts. When she goes back, will she still hide her pent-up emotioms? Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

26 year-old Freesia Yagyu believes that she managed to sever ties with the people of her past when she left the quaint village 7 years ago, but a cheerful brunette somehow manages to constantly come up in her thoughts. When Freesia is sent back by her boss for a work vacation, will she be able to cross the divide of her own pent up emotions?

* * *

And this is quite clearly girl girl. If you didn't figure that out already, and you don't like it, then leave.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of the anime/manga Jubei Chan 2. The only thing I own gere is the plot of this fanfic.

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Freesia Yagyu, a woman who was renowned for her prowess in business and envied for her graceful beauty, gazed around her small, single bedroom apartment with something that bordered on distaste. Although she rarely complained aloud about the current state of her life, the reason was because she rarely confronted herself with it, but here…here was where it culminated. A small lounge area, which doubled as a dining room when necessary lay in front of her. At the far end of the room was a mediocre kitchen, not as small as some apartments had, but she would have preferred one with at least slightly more room to move. On the left there were two doors, one to her bathroom, and the other leading to the bedroom. If forced to, she would admit that it wasn't too shabby, but she couldn't help but feel a certain something lacking. A certain something she remembered very well, even after all their years apart…

The blonde shook her head frustrated. Now was definitely not the time for that. Sighing, she kicked off her shoes before sprawling along the full length of her dark blue couch. Fumbling, she reached beneath it, tugging out a lap-top case.

"I really should get some work done before going to bed." She mused aloud. But after pulling out her lap-top and setting it up, she simply stared at the screen in front of her.

"Jiyu…I wonder how you're doing these days?" Her soft words fell lightly upon the passive air, and for a while longer she merely looked at the image in front of her.

It was one of a photo she'd managed to save after her and Jiyu's last fight as Jubei. She'd taken it with her when she left, and somehow a co-worker of hers had managed to get it on to her lap-top. He hadn't questioned the beautiful blonde about it, but she was sure he'd wondered.

Freesia examined the younger her with a critical eye. She'd done a lot of growing up since then, and actually looked remarkably similar to how she had when she'd worn the Spade Eye-Patch, although she had rather taken to tying her long hair up in a pony-tail again like when she lived with the animals. Jiyu, however…Freesia sometimes pondered whether or not the other girl had also followed, physically speaking, in the footsteps of her alter-ego. Thoughts like this were always cut short though. They always brought back certain memories.

Freesia's right eye twitched, and she snapped the lap-top shut.

_Looks like I'll get no work done tonight._ She barked wearily at herself as she unplugged her computer and took the battery out, so as to avoid having to shut it down properly.

Putting away the lap-top, Freesia moved into her bedroom and changed. Surprisingly, her choice of pajamas hadn't changed much, still that delicate shade of lilac, only now she just wore her panties instead of those awkward shorts. _Perhaps later,_ she thought as she slipped under the covers, _I'll swap the singlet and occasional T-shirt for something a little…sexier._

* * *

When Freesia awoke, she knew she'd done it again. The light streaming through the gap in her curtains was sign enough of what she already knew. No longer was she in the habit of waking up during the pre-dawn haze, to have a few minutes of contentment while a certain brunette slumbered on, but instead her alarm clock lay where she had thrown it not two hours ago, in the pile of dirty laundry in front of her closet. Groaning, she rolled over to bury her face in her pillow, only to wrench herself up seconds later. Jumping out of bed, she ripped open the curtains, her cerulean blue eyes hit harshly by the full light of day. Eyes watering, she rushed over and hurridly consulted her alarm clock.

"Oh, no," She muttered "shit, shit, shit!"

As fast as she could manage, Freesia tossed on some well-matched clothes, grabbed her lap-top, and was eating a non-descript bar on her way out of her apartment.

Taking the steps two at a time, she stuck her tongue out.

"What kind of _healthy_ bar tastes this disgusting?" She asked aloud, and promptly threw it in the nearest trash can outside her building.

She arrived at work panting, uncharacteristically short of breath.

"Hey, Freesia!" A dark-haired, tanned man greeted her as she reached the elevator "Hold the door for me, will you please?"

Nodding, Freesia waited for him to get in.

"Michael, you are late for work as well?"

"No, not at all. But I'm surprised, you're usually so…well, not late." He laughed.

"I am sorry Michael, I've just been having…trouble lately." The words couldn't have sounded any more forced than a cow being pushed into a meat grinder without being knocked out first.

"So I've noticed. As your friend and boss, Freesia, I'd say you need some time off." The older man (by about two years, maybe more) said seriously.

"But…but I have this presentation today, and, and surely the people above you will not approve!" Freesia protested. This was almost exactly what she didn't want.

"Freesia, you have worked so hard here. You can do your presentation for today, but tomorrow you will officially begin your time off. Do I make myself clear?" His firm voice brooked no opposition.

"But Michael-!" She tried once more.

"No buts. And it'll just be written off as a paid work holiday, I'll send you somewhere nice."

"You don't have to send me anywhere-"

The elevator dinged, and Michael smiled generously at her "Well, this is our stop," he said "You have some friends at your home town you'd like to visit right? I'll send you there, ok? You'll have the tickets by this afternoon!" And before Freesia could protest, Michael had winked at her and vanished down the corridor.

This was definitely _not_ the direction she'd imagined her day going when she woke up that morning.

* * *

Freesia dragged her feet as she walked into her apartment, high heels in hand. Carefully she slid her lap-top case off her shoulder, placing it beside the couch, her tired muscles crying in protest. Dropping her shoes beside it, she wondered at her weariness. _Maybe Michael is right,_ she thought, _a holiday could do me good._

The only thing she had a problem with was where she was being sent.

_Jiyu…it doesn't look like I can run so far anymore._

Her brow furrowed as she moved into her kitchen and grabbed a microwave meal from her fridge.

"Why do I keep eating this? I can cook better things." Despite her words, she still ate it after heating it up. The faint foul taste in her mouth was barely noticeable beside her nervous glances towards her lap-top bag. Chucking the remainder of her food in the trash, Freesia meandered over to it and opened a side-pocket. She eyed the plane ticket she pulled out, her mouth tugging into a slight frown. Two days…she had two days to get ready for her flight.

She abandoned the ticket on the coffee table and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth before going to bed. She would start packing the next day, and maybe she could cram in a few more hours of work before Michael caught her and shooed her from the building. As for her last day…

_Maybe…I'll do some last minute shopping or something…_She thought drowsily as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

As the male air-hostess walked past her, preparing the passengers for their flight, one of Freesia's hands twitched on her armrest. Clenching said hand, she tried to calm herself. Even if she felt that right now, the last thing she wanted to do was go back to _that_ village, she knew that it didn't give her a good enough excuse to punch the steward in the face. It wasn't his fault his annoyingly pitched voice aggravated her frayed nerves. However, hearing it again, Freesia was seriously reconsidering her generosity.

Her sharp ears picked out the sound of his footsteps as he walked to the back of the plane, unwittingly saving himself a broken nose. Freesia gritted her teeth. No matter how much of a thrill she'd had during those aerial fights with Jiyu, being on a plane was a whole other deal. For one, there was no massive adrenaline rush. She heard the engines power up, and the plane started moving. _Secondly, _she thought in the farthest corner of her soul, _there's no Jiyu._

And as she felt the not quite startling jump in her stomach at the feel of the ground falling away beneath her, Freesia felt her heart pound a little faster at the thought of finally seeing the kind brunette once more, despite the circumstances that forced it upon her.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks so much to **Hofttailing** for reviewing!!! I'm glad you think its cute, I liked the idea too!

I planned to update sooner than this, but things will be as they will be, so we're here now at least.

Oh, I don't own Jubei chan 2, nor any characters, so don't sue me.

Chapter 2

The first thing she noticed, as she stepped past the automatic doors, was the lack of noise. It was genuinely quiet. Had she really been away so long, she wondered, that she'd forgotten the peacefulness of this place? Freesia stood in front of the airport, baggage beside her, and felt that she would rather be wearing a light summer dress as opposed to the heavy denim jeans and over-sized grey and white checked hoody she had on.

_I must've been so sleepy when I got up this morning,_ she thought, _usually I have better dress sense._

With a shushing noise, a taxi pulled up beside her. "Excuse me, miss?" A man with spiky, dark hair leaned out the cab's window. "Would you like a ride?" His tinted glasses glinted in the sunlight.

"Yes, please. Take me to Union Square, if you will." Tossing her hair over her shoulder as she regarded him, she felt he was distinctly familiar.

"Put your bags in the back and I'll take you right there!" He grinned cheerfully.

Sitting in the back-seat, she only half paid attention to his idle chatter while they drove, instead choosing to look out at the scenery. That was, until she realized he was asking her a question.

"Say miss, what did you say your name was? I have a feeling we've met before." He peered at her over the rim of his glasses, and she noticed that he only looked with one eye.

"Kita? Kita Furo?!"

"Yeah, that's me. And although you're very good looking, I say you'd be even better with a name." He grinned lopsidedly at her.

"It is me! Freesia!"

His jaw dropped, and after a few seconds of what could be described as uncomfortable silence, she decided to comment.

"You know, I really think it would be better if you kept your eyes on the road." She smirked, somewhat pleased that he had been so surprised.

"Freesia…well, I can't think of anything else to say, other than you've certainly gotten…bigger."

"Kita!"

He laughed, a joyous sound, making her feel more friendly towards him "But it's true. You look much more like your counterpart now."

"Is it really so noticeable?"

"About as noticeable as the Yagyu Shinkageryu swordless defense technique. Will you be staying here long? Will you visit everyone else?"

"I won't be staying longer than a month at most, Kita. And as for visiting everyone, I'm not sure how much they will want to see me." Freesia's brow furrowed as she wished she could have done some things differently.

"I'm sure they will. You know, we've all missed you, but no one could find any way to contact you, even while Sacchan and Maro were in the city for College."

"Maybe they did not look in the right places." Freesia laughed.

They continued chatting like that for a while, and they even exchanged phone numbers and e-mails, until Kita finally said "Well, here we are Freesia, Union Square. You sure you don't want a ride anywhere more specific?"

"No, I will be quite all right." She replied with a light smile.

"I'm sure you will be. If you want to hang out again, talk to Jiyu. She'll be sure to organize something." Kita gave Freesia a friendly grin as she got out of the cab, taking her luggage with her.

Freesia's smile faltered slightly at the casual mention of Jiyu, but she quickly fixed it firmly back in place.

"Thank you for the advice Kita! I'll see you later then!" she called as the vehicle started to drive away. Kita waved a hand out the open window in response.

Freesia stood on the pavement watching the taxi head off further into the town. The reunion had been unexpected, to say the least. She'd planned to settle herself in her hotel first before seeking out her old friends the next day. And Kita's easy use of Jiyu's name had made her uneasy. _I thought she liked her friends to call her Jubei_, Freesia thought curiously, and she wondered just how much had changed since she'd left. She wasn't used to having things throw her off balance like this.

Almost reluctantly, she shook herself free of her thoughts and made her way to her hotel. The streets were as busy as she remembered them, even though there were nowhere near as many people as in the city, and when she finally booked in she found it was with no small amount of relief that she twisted the key in the lock and entered what she would be calling 'home' for the next month or so. The room contained a comfortable looking double bed, and the walls were a deep red only enhanced by the light of the setting sun now streaming through the large window directly opposite the door she came through. Enjoying the brief respite from all the eyes she'd felt on her as she walked there, she fell onto the bed. Turning her head to the left on the pillow, she looked out through the window at the quaint, seemingly thriving township.

"Now that I'm here, what should I do?" she wondered aloud.

She knew what she wanted to do. Her eyes took on a distant look as she imagined her old friend greeting her with open arms. Freesia could almost hear that familiar, sweet voice welcoming her back. But then those only half-broached feelings of the time when they were closer clashed against her daydream, and she roughly pulled herself away from the thoughts that would only serve to get her hopes up.

"Perhaps leaving without telling her was not the greatest of ideas…" Freesia guiltily admitted to herself, "But if we had not fought, then I wouldn't have felt that it would be better if I left…" her voice trailed away as she realized the uselessness of that sentence. There was no longer any point in pondering what could have happened, and yet…Freesia had changed while she was gone. She'd started changing before she left, but leaving had hurried the process along. Although she still had that wide streak of confidence mixed with arrogance in her personality she recognized that at times it was necessary to defer to certain people, especially those in control of your salary. And yet even her natural confidence wasn't always a match for her nerves, her doubts. Especially when those nerves were caused by Jiyu.

"I've missed you, Jiyu" The blonde murmured into her pillow, muffling the words.

Pulling her cellphone out of her pocket, she flicked to Jiyu's home number. She hoped she still lived at the same place.

_I'll call her tomorrow,_ she thought, gazing at the screen with determination, _I'll definitely call tomorrow._

Grinning to herself, she lifted herself off of the bed and decided it was time to go out for dinner.

Restaurants seemed common place as Freesia walked down the avenue lit by street lamps, and small decorative lights that hung outside shop fronts. Most were closed, but the ones that weren't were crowded with merry people, enjoying meals with friends or family.

Freesia hugged her little take-away box close to her chest trying to ignore the voices and laughter that seemed to be the only thing she could currently hear, no matter how hard she tried to block it out. She'd really wanted to go to one of the many small bistros or good-quality bars that the area was known for, but they were all much busier than she'd expected. She didn't like feeling lonely when there were so many happy people surrounding her, especially when one dangerous glare from her sent them scurrying away leaving her more alone than before. It made her feel worse. So she'd given in and bought some take-away instead. She sighed quietly. Her evening had most certainly not gone the way she would have liked.

Looking through some of the windows she'd seen some familiar faces, bringing an almost painful feeling of longing to her chest. In one place she saw Bantaro, laughing with those two monkey guys; in another Sai sat cramped into a corner, furiously typing on a laptop while Mikage smiled and chatted with a man whom Freesia assumed was her husband. But she hadn't stopped to say hello, she had instead hurried past hoping they wouldn't notice her. She didn't want them to see her yet, if she could avoid it. There were things she wanted to get out of the way first, like knowing if Jiyu was ok with her staying for a bit. She closed her eyes against the thought that the other girl might refuse her and for a few moments Freesia struggled to breath.

Successfully, she made it back to her hotel. She'd eaten her food on the way there, after realizing that she would only have been saving it for an empty room and not particularly caring for the idea. Tiredly she tossed the remaining trash from her meal into a bin, and retreated to her en-suit for a warm shower before crawling into bed.

_When I see you, Jiyu, _Freesia thought, before falling asleep, _will you hold me like before?_


	3. Chapter 3

Loud, persistent knocking, Freesia knew, was not what she had wanted to wake up to. Rolling over, she pressed the pillow over her ears and in an attempt to block it out.

"Just…five more minutes" she muttered through gritted teeth, but the noise showed no mercy.

Admitting defeat, she clambered out of bed and opened the door sharply.

"Yes? What is it?"

The sight of a ruffled, vicious-looking Freesia caused the man to stumble over his words "S-s-sorry miss, we've been trying to wake you for a while now. We had to tell the exterminators to wait for a whole hour…"

"Exterminators??"

The poor young man began perspiring as he replied "Yes miss. The hotel had a regular inspection the other day and th-they found a bug infestation. The hotel is being closed down until it can prove that all bugs have been terminated."

"Bugs?" Freesia replied coolly "You're telling me that there are bugs all through out this building?"

"Y-yes miss. That is the case miss."

Affecting an arrogant air which was as natural for Freesia as breathing, she said "You go down and tell those exterminators to wait another half-hour, and I'll be out of here after I've finished packing. And if you come up here again before I'm done…" she let the sentence hang, making sure he was thoroughly petrified before slamming the door in his face.

"Keh, this is what I get for thinking I can actually lie in today." she muttered to herself, throwing things haphazardly back into her suitcase.

_Lucky I didn't take everything out,_ she thought, _otherwise I'd be here for a lot longer._

Surprising herself, she actually ended up leaving before the hour finished. She'd been tempted to take a nap, but the idea of potentially waking with bugs all over her didn't appeal. Sure, sleeping in the wilderness that kind of thing was no problem. But it was normal out there. Inside a house, or hotel, a structure built so you didn't have to deal with those things, Freesia hated the idea.

Seeing all the other patrons of the hotel gathered outside the building amused her. It quickly stopped being funny though when she realised that they were all competition who would fill up the other available places to stay.

Going as quickly as she could with her luggage, she tried to find a place, any place, with vacancies, hoping to avoid the rush. Unfortunately it seemed that a lot of people were holidaying at this time of year. Again and again she was turned away She remained aloof and determined though, her frosty eyes demanding that everyone who dismissed her were left with an ominous feeling that they would regret it.

Eventually, feeling that she had tried all the hotels in the area, she collapsed on to a bench on the side-walk. _This is ridiculous,_ she thought,_ there must be at least one place that isn't filled to bursting with people._

Struck by sudden inspiration, she thought of Kita.

Sure, it hadn't been him she'd wanted to contact today, but surely it was better than the awkwardness that would ensue if she suddenly showed up on Jiyu's doorstep without prior notice.

Quickly, she retrieved her cellphone.

"Kita? It's Freesia…" she stopped when she realised it was just his answering machine, and canceled the call without leaving a message.

_He must be out working…_ she thought, disappointed that her plan had failed.

It really did leave her with only one option.

At least, only one feasible option.

_Well, I suppose I would've had to do this sooner or later. I just didn't think I'd be asking to live with her._

Her heart stuttered at the thought. _Not really asking to live with her!! Just temporarily!_ She hastily corrected herself.

Freesia looked at her phone hesitantly, and then got mad at her perceived cowardice.

"I can do this!" she growled roughly at herself, and punched in Jiyu's home number, momentarily surprised that she still knew it off by heart. Then she realised stupidly that she already had it on her phone, and of course she still knew it by heart, because didn't children always remember the phone numbers of their homes?

Annoyed that she was distracting herself, she pushed the call button and waited, listening to the drawn out sound of the ringing.

Eventually it was picked up (_at last, at last, _thought Freesia).

"Hello?"

"Mr Nanohara?" For some reason Freesia had simply expected Jiyu to pick up

"Speaking. And who is this?"

"Its, ah, its Freesia, papa" Unthinkingly she slipped into the way she used to talk to him

"Freesia!? How are you? How have you been?"

"I've been doing well Papa. Working a lot"

"That's just like you Freesia." She could hear the smile in his voice, " So what's the occasion?"

"I'm here Papa. On leave from work. But the hotel had some issues so now I have no place to stay."

"That's terrible! You have to come stay here. It'll be just like old times!"

"Are you sure its okay Papa? I'm sure I could find other accommodation."

"I won't have it, you simply have to stay with us. I'm sure Jubei will be delighted."

Freesia flinched, but kept her voice happy "Well then I'd love to come! I will be there soon, okay?"

"As soon as you like Freesia."

"Bye Bye~"

"Bye."

Her first thought was whether or not she should just turn up there now. But no, she couldn't simply just _do that_ so soon. There had to be a period of time in between. The time it took her to get there didn't count.  
And aside from that, even though it had been a short conversation, Freesia felt a little drained.

It was moving too quickly. She had this almost desperate feeling that she should have had more time. Enough to take in again the beauty of the place. Maybe revisit some old haunts.

Taking a calming breath, she stilled the slight shaking of her hands and stood. Gathering her luggage, she roamed the town a while longer.  
Anyone who was caught looking oddly at the woman lugging around an awkward amount of baggage was met with a calm, decided glare. None offered to help.

A little out of breath, she stood in front of the gate to the castle, but couldn't bring herself to go further than that.  
Remembering Jiyu's determination that day. That fierce protectiveness that Freesia would admit she thought was unrivaled, although she would say it to no one other than maybe Jiyu herself.  
Stubbornly she turned away from it and strode with confidence towards Jiyu's house.

_It may not be the way I wanted, but I know I can make the best of this!_


	4. Chapter 4

Her heart quaked. Beneath her calm exterior, behind the many built up walls, it trembled fretfully.

She stood in front of the door, and while the house itself was no more imposing than it had been those years ago, there were so many memories to take into account.  
This house, could she still call it home?  
There was only one way to know for sure. Steeling herself, she knocked and waited. The air seemed to still, and hold its breath. She didn't even know if anyone was there right now. Briefly, she considered turning around and coming back later, but the sun was firmly in the west, steadily heading towards evening. So she stayed, and knocked again a little louder. And from inside came the noise of shuffling feet.

_Jiyu, I'm so excited_. A small smile tugged at her lips.

The door opened.

"Freesia, I'm so glad to see you!"

"Papa?"

God, why hadn't she expected this? He grinned at her in that goofy way he had sometimes.

"Come in, come in, we have so much to catch up on." He said, ushering her through.

She was surprised, yet glad, that it looked like nothing had changed.

"Of course, you'll want to put your things away first."

He helped her carry her luggage. She almost headed for Jiyu's room, but stopped herself. Habit could be cruel.

"Papa, where will I sleep?"

He looked surprised at first, then laughed.

"I was thinking you would stay in Jiyu's old room." He shook his head ruefully "Really, so much to talk about." Sai led the way up while Freesia followed. She was shocked by her expectance that Jiyu would be right where she had left her.

"Jiyu moved out?"

Sai put what he carried down and stood. She mimicked him, and looked around, seeing that room really wasn't Jiyu's anymore. Most of the things Freesia remembered were gone, aside from some unfamiliar clothes on the floor which she assumed were things Jiyu had left behind.

Her papa rubbed the back of his head with a hand. "Kind of. She still comes back sometimes, a few days is usually as long as she stays. And often she comes over for dinner. I guess that's why I said you could stay with 'us'. Don't worry though, you'll probably be able to talk to her soon."

"I guess she'll be at dinner tonight then." Freesia made her tone as nonchalant as possible

"No, not tonight," he smiled "But maybe tomorrow. For now, I'll make us some tea and we can talk."

She smiled back, genuinely curious to know what had been happening with her adopted father.

"I'd like that."

* * *

She lay in bed, on the side closest to the window, watching the sun come up. Even though they'd talked for a long time, somehow she found that she'd woken up just like she used to. The bed felt the same. Sai had come up and helped her make it. Put on the sheets, fluffed the pillows and everything. There was no doubt it was comfortable, and Freesia wondered what brand it was, and why her bed in the city never felt this good.

She wanted to do something today, she decided. She was getting much too nervous about seeing Jiyu.

_The more I don't do it,_ she thought, _the more it'll worry me, and the more I'll put it off._

So that was one thing.

But what else?

In the end, she decided she would just walk around til she hit on whatever struck her fancy. After getting up and getting dressed she went downstairs, drank a glass of orange juice and left a note for Sai telling him she'd be out for the day. Then she took an apple for 'breakfast' and left.

Freesia strolled, enjoying the general quietness of the morning. Birds chirped. Leaves in trees rustled as a light wind blew. Morning things happened. _The things that happen before nine, _Freesia thought wryly. She wasn't actually sure if the same thing happened in the city, seeing as how ever since going there she'd never managed to experience the morning like this. But the experience of it had lingered after she left her 'home town' , and so it was just how she imagined it happened everywhere. She had missed it.

When she arrived at the town, it was still early enough that none of the shops had opened. She sat on the curb in front of a convenience store, looking out across the road. Occasionally a car drove past, and the low hushing sound they made felt familiar to Freesia. She was filled with nostalgia for the place she had not-so-easily abandoned. As the streets got busier and the store she was waiting on remained firmly closed, Freesia got up and wandered further into the town.

"Freesia? Freesia!" a voice came from somewhere behind her.

"Kita? What are you doing here?"

"Its my day off." He grinned "How was your hotel?"

"It turned out to be filled with bugs," she narrowed her eyes in disdain "I definitely won't be staying with their chain a second time."

Kita laughed "So where are you staying instead? If you need a place, I'm sure I can make room."

"No, its fine. I'll be with papa for the remainder if my stay."

"That's Sai, right? Well that's great! I'm glad you didn't wind up spending the night in the streets or something."

"You wouldn't believe how long I tried to find another hotel. It was like trying to fit in a can of sardines every time I went inside one." Freesia smiled

"Hey, what's say I take you to lunch? It is almost lunch right? And you look like you could do with some good food." He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Weeeeell, I have been out and about for a while…"

"And who can say no to a free meal, don't you agree?"

She laughed and shrugged "I am on holiday after all. Free meals are always welcome."

* * *

When she next looked at a clock, Freesia had no idea how time passed so quickly. After lunch they'd gone about town, looking in at various things through windows. Kita's eye had been caught by a particularly nice katana. She had laughed when she'd seen his reaction to the price tag though. It was far beyond his current budget, and more than Freesia would ever willingly spend on a single thing.

Glancing once more at the ticking hands, Freesia turned back to Kita.

"I suppose you have to go now huh?" he said

"Yes, I want to be back in time to help Sai with dinner."

"I had fun today Freesia. It really was good to catch you this morning." He grinned at her.

"Mmm, I had fun too." She smiled back before starting back home

Even as the distance between them became larger, she heard him half yell.

"We should do it again sometime, okay?"

She turned slightly so that she could see him while she continued walking.

"Yeah, of course. Sometime later." she called back.

She took a different road out of town than the one she had come in along. She figured it would still lead her back to Sai, because she was pretty sure she'd seen a sign with the name of this road on it in the morning. The mid-afternoon sun was warm, and the tall grass swayed on either side. It didn't look like the road was used too often, and Freesia's shoes made crunching sounds with each step on the thin layer of gravel. She wasn't too far away from the outskirts of town when she saw a building that surprised her. It was surrounded by reasonably high walls, and the building reminded her a little of the temple where her and Jiyu had been. Only…she looked a little closer; yes, it was definitely a dojo. The gates stood open.

Her curiosity piqued, Freesia went in.

* * *

So that was chapter four folks. Hope you enjoyed it!  
Please review~

Oh, and of course i own nothing except the plot of the fanfic.

Amai.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm getting somewhere with this, slowly but surely. Thanks a bunch to those who reviewed~ Hopefully another chapter soon (but who knows when that will be, am i right? :D ) Enjoy the chapter!**

**I own nothing of Jubei-chan. Just this plot.**

* * *

She took off her shoes before entering the building, carrying them in one hand. Instead of walking, she smiled as she slid her socked feet along the tiles, past the rows of cubbies for shoes and clothes, until she reached the small step that led in to the training area.

The polished wooden floor gleamed, and the sigh of moving material filled the room as the students stepped back and forth, rows of shinai striking the air.

"Men, men, men -"*

Determination rang in their voices as they kiaied and Freesia was reminded of herself as she watched from the doorway. They were young, from the looks of it, their ages ranging from eight or so to sixteen. Freesia was almost envious of the vigorous way they moved. It had been a long time since she'd moved with such purposeful action. Her hands practically itched to hold her katana. She sighed lightly, knowing that the only person she could have a decent spar with was Jiyu.

_Oh those fights were definitely better than decent._ Her heart stuttered at the thought. "No, they were only decent. Even if Jiyu has a lot of skill." the blonde muttered sternly, trying to keep her mind in check.

She was distracted by a sudden banging. She saw that someone in full armour was hitting the butt of their shinai against the floor.

"Yame kudasai. For those of you that have bogu, please gear up and get ready to practice some Kiri-kaeshi before we finish up. Those of you without bogu please line up, sit, watch and learn."

"Hai Sensei!"

Freesia wasn't quite sure who it was, but the teacher sounded very familiar. If only she could place that voice…

She watched for the rest of the lesson, unable to help her interest. She almost found herself a little disappointed that it finished sooner than she expected. She closed her eyes and just listened to the sounds of them removing armour, their collective breathing as they meditated and then the rustle of their uniforms as they bowed.

"Arigatou gozaimashita."

The thank-you sounded almost reverent, and then they were leaving, almost rushing towards the door but still remembering to politely bow again as they exited the room. Freesia moved to the side to make it easier for them to get out, and momentarily the room was filled with chatting and laughter before they went to the changing rooms to get out of the uniform. The teacher was the last to leave. When she saw who it was Freesia's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Shiro?"

The man looked momentarily taken-aback "Yes?"

"So it is you." She smiled "Its Freesia."

"Freesia." He breathed "What are you doing here?"

She thought there was something almost accusatory in his tone, but brushed it off "I came to see what was being practiced in this new dojo, and I found you!"

"But why are you back in the village?"

"I'm on leave from work." Her smile faltered, but only for a moment "So you teach Kendo now?"

"Y-yes." he blushed slightly, and she laughed. This was more like Shiro, the blonde fringe falling clumsily across his brow.

"Somehow I'm not surprised. You were very good by the end of high school."

He nodded, and she could tell that he was pleased by the compliment.

"And you, what are you doing?" He seemed a little more relaxed now.

"It would seem I have a head for business," she laughed a little "but I'm not running one or anything."

"For a moment there that kind of thought did cross my mind." Shiro smiled too, teeth flashing in a grin.

"I'll let you get changed," Freesia stepped back slightly, pony-tail bobbing "I have to get back to Sai anyway, so I'll be going. I'll come by again though, okay?"

"Is it later than you thought?" he pretended confusion, then smiled "Please do, we have practices twice a week."

She waved as she left through the door, and he waved back as she put on her shoes.

Genuinely worried about the time, she jogged back to the house.

* * *

Freesia opened the door without knocking. "Sai?" she called, wondering if perhaps he had started without her.

"Freesia? I'm in the kitchen. You're just in time." She was relieved that he didn't sound annoyed at all. As she walked in the kitchen he turned to her with a delighted smile.

"So what shall it be tonight?" A recipe book lay open on the counter in front of him and they looked through it together.

As they cooked, Sai's words were on her mind. Would Jiyu be coming? She was nervous but didn't let it show as she chatted to Sai. Her laughter flowed easily at stories of how Mikage berated him for being late with meeting deadlines and how Bantaro had taken over the family business but had run in to trouble a few times with clients because of his attitude, usually to their wives.

As she climbed in to bed that night she reflected that it had been a really nice evening. She felt glad that Sai still felt close to her; it had been so easy to bridge the gap of so many years that she marvelled at it. She could only hope it would be so easy with everyone else.

Her bed was quickly warmed by her body heat and the fabric of the duvet was soft and comforting. She realised absently that Shiro hadn't told her which day was the other one on which there was Kendo practice at the dojo. Quickly becoming drowsy after her long day (she was in no way used to waking up so early yet, even though it used to be habit), Freesia closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

It was not unpleasant to find that she had again woken with the beginning of sunrise. She supposed, in part, that it almost couldn't be helped given that the bedroom window faced east. Still, if she'd known it would be a recurring thing she would have decided to wear on of those eye-mask things. Actually no, scrap that, she thought, she would rather be dead than wear one of those, unless for comical effect.

Ignoring the urge to get out of bed, she rebelled against her body, and chose to nap. Rolling away from the view of the creeping sun she shut her eyes tight and tried her best to catch up on sleep.

She woke again later, and a glance towards the digital clock on the bedside table revealed that the time was indeed much more to her liking. Feeling indolent though, she just lay there, eyes still closed, and enjoyed the warmth and comfort of the bed. She'd always been surprised at the size of it. Such a big bed had seemed so out of place in the small room, and yet Jiyu had still managed to fit everything in.

Freesia had almost drifted off to sleep again when her ears picked out the sound of laughter from down stairs. Even though her door was closed, the sound travelled easily through out the house. Muffled voices conversed for a few minutes or more and then there was the sound of a chair scraping along the floor as someone moved. There was nothing for a few moments, and Freesia had resolved to get up and check what was for breakfast when there was the sound of rapid footsteps on the stairs.

"Ah, wait!" Sai called after whoever was there and the footsteps stopped outside Freesia's room.

"Freesia's in there. She's still asleep at the moment. Boy was that a surprise for me!" Sai laughed and Freesia heard footsteps now backing slowly from her room.

_Fair guess as to who that is,_ Freesia thought, her body now thoroughly paralyzed at the unexpected. _There mightn't be a better chance than this, _but as much as she willed it, her limbs refused to move. The voices were muffled again, and Freesia barely heard the sound of the front door shutting.

All of a sudden she startled in to action, jumping from bed and hurriedly throwing on clothes. Just as she was about to fling open her door, she paused. Took a breath. It was too late, and running out in disarray was hardly how she wanted to present herself. Her shoulders slumped slightly and she grabbed her hairbrush from the vanity and began to pull it through her hair in long strokes. She felt annoyed that she'd been so close but was also slightly relieved that she hadn't made a fool of herself.

Feeling more presentable, she went downstairs to a warm greeting from Sai.

* * *

*_Men _- the term for a direct strike to the head in/kendo. Kiaied (shouted) upon striking.

Shinai - bamboo sword.

Bogu - armour for kendo

_Yame kudasai_ - please stop

Kiri-kashi - Striking the left and right _men _(head) target points in succession, practising centering, distance, and correct technique, while building spirit and stamina. (from wikipedia :D)


End file.
